ARCUS BOWS FOR SALE
The Most Beautiful Sound | Incredible Lightness / Ease | No More Fatigue and Pain | Safe, Robust, and Perfectly Reliable
First: you can find a longish blog we’ve written on the topic here
but let’s try to make this as simple as possible!
Understanding the Four Classes of Arcus Bows
In a nutshell, the four classes differ in weight and stiffness. The combination of these factors create different playing experiences…and pull unique tones from your instrument.
S: The S series produces a brilliant tone. It works wonders when it comes to older, darker instruments by helping to bring out a bright sound that it otherwise may not be capable of producing. The S series combines strength and lightness that allows a player to cut through a thick orchestra texture or keep a grand piano in check even when the acoustics are not ideal.
T: The T series is a darker bow that pairs well with well with modern instruments. The T series is a great introductory bow for the Arcus line.
M: The sticks of the M bow are the most flexible, therefore this is recommended for warmer sounding instruments. This flexibility makes the M series perfect for classical or baroque music.
P: The P series is full rich and powerful. A player will find it easy to draw a meaty, dense and melancholic sound with this series. The P series is a few grams heavier than the S series which gives them additional stability on the strings and great traction. These pair particularly well with older instruments from the 19th century that have a nice bright tone.
Follow this navigational guide to select your Arcus Bow:
Each series (STMP) of the bows are rated in quality from 3 to 9. All the bows within the series will have comparable weights and stiffnesses, but the higher rated ones are more consistent in wall thickness, material density, and tonal resonance than the lower rated ones. This is mostly a matter of budget…the higher you go will land you with better mounting metals and more consistent playing. The differences do become quite subtle so whether you experience the difference will depend on your playing abilities, experience and the complexity in harmonic response of your particular instrument.
If money is no object and you are someone who only want the best, go with higher lever bows.
Octagonal bows cost the same as Round bows, so this is again a choice made based on the player’s style. An octagonal bow is generally more agile and lively: faster with a quicker response. It can also offer more power.
A Round bow can be steadier and more even, though they can play with less power and livelihood.
Arcus suggests that a round bow is better for the beginner player while an octagonal bow is better for the more advanced bowstrokes of a more experienced player.
Vermont Violins has been an Arcus dealer for well over a decade — longer than almost any other string shop in the United States. In that time, we have placed these bows in the hands of hundreds of players across every level, from conservatory students to internationally performing professionals. The conclusion we reach, consistently and without reservation, is this: Arcus bows are not a compromise. They are not a "good enough" substitute for Pernambuco. They are, for a significant proportion of serious players, genuinely superior.
Why Pernambuco Is No Longer the Default Answer
For nearly two centuries, Pernambuco — harvested from the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil — was the uncontested standard for fine bow making. That consensus is now under legal, ecological, and practical pressure that will only intensify. The international community has moved decisively toward restricting the import, export, and harvest of Pernambuco wood. A substantial black market has emerged, making provenance verification increasingly difficult. And as travel regulations tighten — mirroring what has already happened with ivory and tortoiseshell — players carrying Pernambuco bows across international borders face growing documentation requirements and potential seizure.
Carbon fiber does not carry any of these liabilities. An Arcus bow travels anywhere in the world, today and indefinitely into the future, without restriction, documentation, or concern.
What Makes Arcus Different From Every Other Carbon Fiber Bow
The Arcus innovation is not simply "carbon fiber instead of wood." It is a fundamentally different approach to how a bow stick is engineered. Most carbon fiber bows are solid or hollow sticks embedded in a resin binder — and that resin acts as an acoustic dampener, restricting sound velocity through the stick and producing the slightly muted, dense quality that players associate with standard carbon fiber.
Arcus founder Bernd Müsing, a trained carbon fiber engineer who applied aerospace-grade materials science to bow making, solved this problem through two key innovations: a hollow-stick construction and a dramatically reduced resin matrix. With less binder impeding the carbon fiber weave, sound travels through the stick at a higher velocity — much closer to the natural acoustic behavior of Pernambuco. The result is a bow that is genuinely resonant, responsive, and tonally complex in a way that most carbon fiber bows simply are not.
The Arcus S-Series bows weigh approximately 40 grams — roughly 20–30% lighter than a traditional Pernambuco bow. That weight reduction has a compounding ergonomic benefit: less arm fatigue over long sessions, more nuanced control over bow pressure and speed, and reduced physical strain for players managing repetitive stress concerns.
Try Before You Commit: Vermont Violins' Home Trial Program
Our confidence in Arcus bows is not theoretical. Of the many home trials we have dispatched over the years, the overwhelming majority have resulted in a purchase. We offer a two-week bow trial program: select up to three bows, pay a modest trial fee (fully applicable to your purchase), and try them in your home, your studio, your rehearsal hall, and your performance space. There is no better way to evaluate a bow than in the actual acoustic environments where you play.
Understanding the Four Arcus Series
Arcus produces four distinct series, each tuned for a different tonal character and instrumental pairing. Choosing the right series matters as much as choosing the right quality level.
The S Series delivers a brilliant, high-velocity tone. It is particularly effective at unlocking resonance in older, darker-voiced instruments that need help projecting through a dense orchestral texture. The T Series produces a warmer, darker response, making it the most natural entry point for players new to Arcus — it pairs especially well with modern instruments. The M Series offers the greatest flexibility in the stick, ideal for warmer-voiced instruments and the nuanced bow control demanded by classical and Baroque repertoire. The P Series is the most powerful and dense of the four, producing a rich, weighty tone that excels with bright 19th-century instruments requiring stability and gravitas.
Within each series, quality levels run from 3 through 9. The higher the number, the more consistent the wall thickness, material density, and tonal resonance — differences that become most perceptible to advanced players on harmonically complex instruments. For most players, the mid-range levels represent the strongest value proposition. The 8 and 9 Series bows are hand-selected by Müsing personally and represent the pinnacle of carbon fiber bow making at any price.
Round vs. Octagonal Stick
Both configurations are available at identical price points, making this a purely performance-based choice. Octagonal sticks offer greater agility, faster response, and increased power — well suited to advanced bow techniques and experienced players. Round sticks provide a steadier, more even draw, which Arcus recommends for developing players building foundational bow technique.